wife insisted on Isaac's eating such food as she had already
prepared, until it seemed to the boy that he would not need anything
more for twenty-four hours.

Then six men, each armed with a musket, arrived, and were ushered into
the house, and Isaac was called upon to tell once more of how
Ticonderoga had been captured, after which the party set out to find the
prisoners.

Corporal 'Lige's recruit acted the part of guide, and in less than an
hour the three Tories, having been given a liberal supply of cornbread,
were being marched back on the trail toward the captured fort.

Both Isaac and Nathan believed it was their duty to accompany the
prisoners; but Captain Baker insisted that they remain at his home in
order to gain the repose which was needed, promising that they should
arrive at Ticonderoga nearly as soon as if they had gone with the
company escorting the Tories.

Therefore it was the boys remained, well content with the work they had
performed, and not until the morning of the twelfth of May was the
return journey begun.

Then the wind was blowing gently from the southward, and Nathan said
mournfully:

"We have of a surety lost the chance of going to Crown Point, for the
hunter will be up and doing this morning, and is likely well on his way
by this time."

Overhearing his words the captain added:

"Ay, lad if he didn't get there yesterday, which I misdoubt, you may
count that he started before daybreak this morning; but you can have the
satisfaction of knowing that save for your work, his task might not be
so easy."

"Think you he can surprise the garrison?" Isaac asked.

"I see no reason why it should not be done, especially after your
capture of the Tories, for thus far Colonel Allen has succeeded in
keeping his movements a secret, at least from the people in this section
of the country, and why may you not say the same of Crown Point?"

To the surprise of the boys no less than twenty men were assembled in
front of Captain Baker's house by the time breakfast had been eaten, and
on making inquiry Isaac learned that these were all of the Green
Mountain Boys who had been ordered by their leader to rendezvous at
Sudbury until summoned elsewhere.

The company, under command of Captain Baker, took up the line of march
over an old trail through the woods, marching to a point on the shore of
the lake nearly two miles further down from where the boys had landed,
when they came from the fort.

Ther